This couple was the same pair who had hastily changed their testimony back then. The husband was named Wu Wei, and the wife was surnamed Hong.
They never imagined they would be so terrified by a foot-binding cloth that in their panic, they recounted the entire story of their false testimony.
This couple happened to live next door to the Wei family. On the day of the incident, they indeed heard sounds from next door, accompanied by a man's voice.
Mrs. Hong opened the door and peeked out. Although she only saw a back, she could still tell it was a man. However, she was certain that the man was not Wei Xiumei's fiancé.
Mrs. Hong was surprised. She turned to look at the Wei residence and saw Wei Xiumei frantically closing her window.
Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes darted around.
Mrs. Hong scoffed. This girl next door was truly not to be judged by her appearance. She was about to get married, yet she was still so wild.
As if discovering new territory, Mrs. Hong hurried home to tell her husband about this gossip.
Just as the couple was talking freely, they heard a series of screams from next door again.
This time, the couple couldn't sit still.
Watching a spectacle, spreading gossip, it was human nature. The couple thought the two people next door were being impulsive again and listened in with keen interest.
Finally, the sounds from next door ceased.
Was it over?
Mrs. Hong went to the door again to watch for the "adulterer." Oh my, this person was not the same as the one from before! Mrs. Hong was greatly shocked, as if she had found a new continent. Not only did she watch herself, but she also called her husband to come and see.
Good heavens, Wei Xiumei was too shameless. She had already changed two men in such a short time.
Now, Wu Wei and his wife had found new gossip. They planned to go out and talk to people in the afternoon.
However, before they could spread the gossip, something major happened next door.
Wei Xiumei was dead!
Rumor had it that she was insulted and strangled to death.
This time, Wu Wei and his wife panicked. They finally realized what they had seen that morning.
The next day, when the police came to question them, Wu Wei and his wife did not dare to hide anything, telling everything they had seen.
But what they didn't expect was that a group of people came to their house that evening. They were fierce and menacing, carrying cleavers, and threatened them to change their testimony the next day.
"How dare we provoke them? We don't want trouble. We just want to live our lives peacefully," Mrs. Hong said, trembling. She said that the last person she saw was Yu Qianning, who was arrested. She recognized him from behind as the first man who left.
She knew that this person was not the murderer, but what could she say? What dared she say?
She dared not say anything.
After listening to Wu Wei and his wife, Hu Jia roughly understood what had happened.
To prevent them from retracting their statements again, Hu Jia immediately arranged for a written record.
Then, Hu Jia found Yao Jieyan. He knew that Wu Wei's testimony alone was not enough to convict Tang Yingge. He had to start with Yao Jieyan.
Only he possessed all the evidence of Tang Yingge's crimes.
"There were two testimonies from this witness. One was recanted on the second day. Don't you find that suspicious?"
"This person spoke nonsense the first day and divine words the second day. How could I control that?"
Facing Hu Jia's questioning, Yao Jieyan was unfazed.
"Then let me ask you now, where is the first statement? I searched the entire case file and couldn't find it."
"Since it was an invalid statement, there was naturally no need to preserve it."
"You are a seasoned police officer. You should know that every statement is worth preserving. You should be well aware that wantonly destroying the preservation of statements is equivalent to wantonly destroying evidence."
Hu Jia pressed on, as he intended to put pressure on Yao Jieyan, letting him know that this matter could not be brushed aside with a few words.
"Alright, you mentioned the first statement. Who recorded that first statement, and who kept it? I had no idea," Yao Jieyan chuckled.
"His name is Tang Xiaotao. I believe you are familiar with him," Hu Jia also smiled. "He was your partner back then, but the case was eventually handed over to you for full responsibility, and he was transferred to a regular police station in the countryside.
Saying this, Hu Jia leaned close to Yao Jieyan's ear, "He really wants to return to the city now. If he were to come forward and testify that you lost that statement back then, would your position as chief still be secure?"
Yao Jieyan's expression turned grim. He had always known that Hu Jia's methods were formidable, but he never expected them to be so formidable.
Indeed, for a police officer in the countryside, returning to the city was his greatest wish.
Now, Hu Jia had extended a ladder. If the other party wasn't foolish, he would definitely seize this opportunity to step on him.
"Of course, you can consider this case a minor mistake in your entire career. But for me, if you make even one minor mistake, I can bring you down."
Hu Jia understood Yao Jieyan's thoughts perfectly. It was just losing a piece of evidence, just sentencing a case. Which police officer hasn't made a mistake?
At worst, he would receive a reprimand, which would not affect his future life or work.
But now, Hu Jia issued a stern warning.
You use my novels as a tool, and in my eyes, they are just very useful tools.
After speaking, Hu Jia took out a document. "This is the real estate and commercial properties under your name, including your daily expenses and salary income. I just want to ask you, with only 7 silver dollars a month, how did you manage to purchase two luxury homes in just two or three years? Let's not even talk about the properties, the amount you spend each month on consumption is more than 7 silver dollars. Where did this money come from?"
Hu Jia patted the stack of documents. Some things, it's not that I don't investigate, but I'm afraid you can't withstand the investigation.
At this point, Yao Jieyan's pretense finally broke. "What exactly do you want?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't have discarded everything from back then. After all, it's your only bargaining chip for survival."
Upon hearing Hu Jia's words, Yao Jieyan's expression changed slightly. After a long pause, he smiled, "You are indeed intelligent."
Yes.
Yao Jieyan had climbed to his high position by helping others.
How could he not keep a little something for himself, preserving a shred of evidence that would be beneficial to him?
Now, Hu Jia wanted him to hand over this evidence.
"I can guarantee that these matters will not involve you. Even if you were involved, I can ensure you walk away unscathed." Hu Jia knew that Yao Jieyan was tempted. He just needed a reassurance.
Otherwise, if I hand over the evidence, I die; if I don't, I die. So why should I hand it over?
"Can you make the decision?" Yao Jieyan asked.
"If you don't trust him, you can trust me," said Xie Xi, who pushed the door open and gave Yao Jieyan a confident look. "Reporting meritorious service, exposing meritorious service. Even if you were involved in some cases, we can appreciate your contributions and reduce your punishment."
Before coming, Xie Xi and his team had thoroughly investigated Yao Jieyan's years of work.
This man was just too perfunctory in his work, his attitude was not correct, and he did not serve the police force with full dedication. However, fortunately, he was not implicated in any murder cases.
As long as he was not burdened by a murder charge, he would not have to pay with his life.
Therefore, appropriate punishment and rewards for merit could save Yao Jieyan's life.
"Director Xie?" From the moment Yao Jieyan walked in, he knew he had gambled correctly.
If he had 80% conviction earlier, he now had 100%.
After all, the highest leader of the police bureau had appeared. The downfall of the 'Dao Ren' organization was inevitable. Now was the time for him to choose a side.